FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What types of ink should I use for offset printing film pressure sensitive?

Synthetic inks are designed to print on synthetic films such as vinyl and other non-porous printing surfaces. These specially formulated inks require cautious handling to achieve the best results.

• Use only fast drying oxidizing inks
• Use a minimum amount of ink and fountain solution. More fountain ink will require more ink to achieve good coverage and dark print
• Some ink manufacturers recommend a 0.4 mil ink thickness on the form roller, and just enough fountain solution to keep the print clean
• Do not use fountain solutions that contain glycol, glycerin, or citric acid
• Keep pH level between 4.5 to 5.5
• To avoid ink set-off and blocking when printing vinyl and other synthetic films, a 25 to 35 micron particle size anti-set-off spray should be used. Using a smaller particle size will require a higher press setting
• Keep lifts small to help drying and prevent ink set-off: Do not exceed 5" lifts
• Work closely with your ink supplier and always pretest on the actual substrate or submit samples along with run length, color sequence, and press type to your ink suppler